In the packaging of goods in containers, such as corrugated cardboard containers or the like, it is standard practice in many cases to apply a sealing tape along one end, across the top (or bottom) and along another end of such a container, to seal the container. Normally the tapes are dispensed as a strip from a roll. For many applications the tape will have a non-sticky and a sticky surface, i.e. a pressure sensitive side that is adhered to the carton. Such tapes will generally be referred to herein as sticky tapes.
Production rate in a packaging plant is extremely important. Thus, any down time may be extremely detrimental to the profits. One of the major contributors to down time is tape breakage in a tape dispenser and the required rethreading of the system before production may be resumed.
Normally breakage occurs due to the pulling force on the tape to peel the tape from the roll and apply the tape under tension to the article, i.e. the friction preventing rotation of the roll during dispensing, the momentum of the roll and the stickiness of the adhesive, the applied tension i.e. tension in the tape as it is applied all of which must be carried by the tape from the point of application where the tension is the highest to the point of separation of the ribbon or strip of tape from the roll of tape. It is not uncommon for rolls to have minor defects such as nicks or cuts adjacent to their lateral edges. Stress is concentrated at these nicks or cuts or other deformities when tension is applied to this tape and causes failure by propagation of the defect across the full width of the tape ribbon and thereby breakage of the ribbon or tape.
Obviously, the strength of the tape plays a role in the amount of tension that may be withstood without breakage but providing a tape with high strength is relatively expensive. For reasons of cost the packager uses or would prefer to use the less expensive tape that is more prone to breakage.
Dispensing system for delivering the tape to the point of application contribute significantly to amount of tape breakage and the ease of re-rethreading and thereby to the downtime of the equipment.